"An ode to a foodie"
You are the "mirepoix" of anybody's soul,
a thousand times worth more than gold, let truth be told,
to live, love and share good food,
and never miss a minute of this magical interlude!
Nazarina.

Or a cucumber, guacamole and tomato salad with sambal oelek (intermittent pangs of spicy pleasure!)

After all that chocolate on Halloween I felt the need to make a colorful salad everyday these past few days. Armed with such healthy and beautiful presentations of fruits and vegetables, one can almost skip the main course which is normally meat and potatoes or a seafood dish! In fact here in "my salad bar" these salads will be the entrees and all you are going to eat ! All the meat and seafood dishes will have to take a back seat!

Pineapple and banana salad: (Please use organic when possible)

Scoop out the flesh of pineapple with a melon baller

2 green onions chopped

Roast a red bell and green bell pepper, remove the skin and chop

2 bananas diced , squeeze fresh orange over this to inhibit oxidation

1 apple peeled and diced and again coat with some orange juice

Half of a small red onion chopped.

1 T chopped cilantro

1 T brown organic sugar crystals

1 orange juiced, 2T lime juice and 1T lemon juice

1 small jalapeno ( seeds removed and minced/ or add the seeds if you like the heat)

Place all the chopped ingredients into a bowl and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Mix the citrus juices and pour over the fruits and veggies. Present inside the hollowed out pineapple.

Asian pear salad:

I used 2 Asian pears, 4 kiwis, some radishes and a spring lettuce mix.

I used cookie cutters to cut out Asian pear hearts and just used my garnishing skills to make little radish flowers. "Mrs Balls bladjang" is a South African apricot chutney available at World market. Use the salad dressing packages and make according to instructions. I use brown rice vinegar and olive oil and just mix in some of the apricot chutney. This dressing is killer!

Cucumber and guacamole salad:

2 avocados diced

half of a small onion finely minced

jalapeno chopped

half of 1 t pounded garlic

1 t roasted garlic and bell pepper seeds

kosher salt to taste

some lime juice (fresh)

Mix all the above ingredients for the guacamole. Do not mash the avos!! Cut cucumbers and arrange on the plate. Place a small pastry ring in the middle of the cucumbers and spread the guacamole on the bottom of the ring and then the chopped tomatoes making sure to season with kosher salt. Remove the ring carefully and you will have a perfect presentation. Dot the cucumbers with sambal oelek.

Creative, originative, beautiful and awesome presentation dear. You are the perfect example of Beauty with brain. Everything looks glamorously tempting. I left a mail to you. Take time to check it out. Let me know how the omellete turned out. There is magic in your hands. (touchwood)

You have such beautiful presentations. I love coming to your blog to see what you've thought of next. Tell me you do this for a living? You would get paid well for this skill.I'm sorry about your kitty. I know how much that hurts. It took me almost a year before I could go to the shelter to find my next little furry creature. You have to feel through the pain before it gets marginally better.

Your attention to detail is exquisite. Your gorgeous salads make me feel like summer is here again. I try to eat a lot healthier between Halloween and Thanksgiving because I know the holiday feasting is about to begin. Thanks for the lovely and very tasty salads.

Aloha! Just got back from Maui and that carrot tree is amazing! Love it! I blog about healthy eating as well. It is great to find you. I just posted a blog about eating anything and everything on Maui though. Come over and check it out.Dana Ziahttp://danazia.wordpress.com/

My Twitter Updates

Or Subscribe by RSS

Like my posts, subscribe by email.

rendevous with Lubna

About Me

I live, love and share good food in a very jovial and unpretentious manner. I believe that very seldom should overindulgence supersede constraint.
So let us savor our food!
Please join me on this culinary journey as I cook my way through an array of gastronomic delights!
Almost every story begins with “My Grandmother”. Well, so does mine!
She was an outstanding confectioner and demanded nothing but perfection. My mother on the other hand was a runway fashion designer and dressmaker and nothing short of a fabulous baker and gourmet cook as well.
My family is of Malaysian descent and grew up in South Africa where almost everything was natural and organic. My Grandmother and Mother exposed us to this type of lifestyle at a very early age and for this I shall remain eternally grateful.
Their mantra was that hospitality would get you everywhere, so now I am trying to follow in their footsteps.
I too roast the coconut and grind the spices and use only the freshest butter and cream because ultimately this love for food is what generates everlasting friendships.
This blog is in memory of my Mother and Grandmother and all the great ladies before them!